Payouts by pet insurers hit a record £785m in 2018, even though the number of claims submitted fell, according to the industry trade body.

The Association of British Insurers (ABI) said this was down to the higher cost of increasingly sophisticated medical care.

The size of the average claim jumped by £36, or nearly 5%, to £793.

The ABI said the "overwhelming majority" of pet insurance payouts were to meet veterinary treatment bills.

Less common claims included pet owners asking to be reimbursed for the theft of a pet, the cost of advertising to find a lost animal, as well as liability for when a pet damaged property or injured someone.

However, the ABI says these claims were "tiny" compared with veterinary treatment bills.

Senior policy adviser for pet insurance, Joe Ahern, said: "There is no NHS for animals, so if you've not got a pet policy in place, you risk having to foot veterinary bills out of your own pocket.

"These can often be in the thousands of pounds and vet treatment is only getting more expensive, not less."